Connector assembly with movable heat sink

Abstract

A connector assembly is provided and includes a guide shielding cage and a heat sink module. The guide shielding cage has at least one insertion space positioned inside. The heat sink module includes a heat dissipating member, a pressure applying elastic member, a lever member and a supporting elastic member. The heat dissipating member has a thermal coupling portion formed downwardly, the lever member is pivoted to the guide shielding cage, the lever member has a pushed end and a pressure applying end, the supporting elastic member upwardly and elastically supports the heat dissipating member. The heat dissipating member is capable of moving between a releasing position which is higher relative to the insertion space and an acting position which is lower relative to the insertion space and where the thermal coupling portion enters into the insertion space.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector assembly comprising:
 a guide shielding cage having at least one insertion space positioned inside; and 
 a heat sink module comprising a heat dissipating member, a pressure applying elastic member, a lever member and a supporting elastic member, a bottom portion of the heat dissipating member having a thermal coupling portion, the pressure applying elastic member being provided at a side face of the heat dissipating member, the lever member having a pushed end which is used to be pushed and a pressure applying end which is used to downwardly apply a pressure to the pressure applying elastic member, the supporting elastic member upwardly and elastically supporting the heat dissipating member, wherein 
 the heat dissipating member is capable of moving between a releasing position which is higher relative to the insertion space and an acting position which is lower relative to the insertion space and where the thermal coupling portion enters into the insertion space, 
 when the pushed end of the lever member is subjected to be pushed by an external force to make the lever member rotate, the pressure applying end of the lever member downwardly applies a pressure to the pressure applying elastic member, so as to make the pressure applying elastic member downwardly push the heat dissipating member to the acting position, and make the heat dissipating member downwardly compress the supporting elastic member, the compressed supporting elastic member being capable of providing a restoring force which makes the heat dissipating member restore to the releasing position when the external force is removed, and 
 when the pushed end of the lever member is not subjected to be pushed by the external force, the supporting elastic member upwardly supports the heat dissipating member so as to make the heat dissipating member be positioned in the releasing position, and the heat dissipating member makes the pushed end of the lever member enter into the insertion space by the pressure applying elastic member acting on the lever member. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat sink module comprises an upper heat sink module and a lower heat sink module which each comprise the heat dissipating member, the pressure applying elastic member, the lever member and the supporting elastic member, 
 the guide shielding cage comprises a cage body and an upper heat sink bracket and a lower heat sink bracket which are provided to the cage body, the lower heat sink bracket is positioned in the cage body and the lower heat sink bracket and the cage body together define an upper insertion space and a lower insertion space, and 
 the lower heat sink module is mounted to the lower heat sink bracket and corresponds to the lower insertion space, the upper heat sink module is mounted to the upper heat sink bracket and corresponds to the upper insertion space. 
 
     
     
       3. The connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein two pressure applying elastic members are respectively provided to two side faces of the heat dissipating member, and two supporting elastic members are respectively provided to the two side faces of the heat dissipating member. 
     
     
       4. The connector assembly of  claim 3 , wherein
 each pressure applying elastic member has two heat dissipating member acting portions which are respectively positioned at a front end and a rear end of each pressure applying elastic member and are used to push the heat dissipating member and a lever acting portion which is positioned at a middle of each pressure applying elastic member and is used to apply a pressure by the pressure applying end of the lever member, and 
 each supporting elastic member has two elastic supporting portions which are arranged in a front-rear direction and upwardly support the heat dissipating member. 
 
     
     
       5. The connector assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the lever member has two pressure applying ends which respectively extend to the two side faces of the heat dissipating member and are used to apply pressure to the two pressure applying elastic members respectively, the pressure applying end of the lever member is positioned above the lever acting portion, the lever acting portion constitutes a recessed portion which opens upwardly and receives the pressure applying end of the lever member. 
     
     
       6. The connector assembly of  claim 4 , wherein
 the pressure applying end of the lever member is positioned below the lever acting portion of the pressure applying elastic member, and 
 a connecting bar is connected between the pressure applying end and the lever acting portion. 
 
     
     
       7. The connector assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the heat sink module comprises two lever members which are respectively positioned at the two side faces of the heat dissipating member, and each lever member has one pushed end and one pressure applying end. 
     
     
       8. The connector assembly of  claim 6 , wherein
 the guide shielding cage is formed with a guiding groove which extends in an up-down direction, and 
 the pressure applying elastic member is provided with a guiding pin which is correspondingly received in the guiding groove and is capable of sliding in the up-down direction. 
 
     
     
       9. The connector assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the guiding pin is formed to extend from a pivoting bar which is pivoted between the pressure applying elastic member and the connecting bar. 
     
     
       10. The connector assembly of  claim 3 , wherein
 an upper frame portion is integrally connected between two pressure applying elastic members and is provided to a top portion of the heat dissipating member, and 
 the two pressure applying elastic members and the upper frame portion together constitute a pressure applying framework. 
 
     
     
       11. The connector assembly of  claim 4 , wherein
 the heat dissipating member further has an acting protrusion, and 
 the elastic supporting portion of the supporting elastic member upwardly supports the acting protrusion. 
 
     
     
       12. The connector assembly of  claim 3 , wherein
 an end frame portion is integrally connected between the two supporting elastic members, the two supporting elastic members and the end frame portion together constitute a supporting framework. 
 
     
     
       13. The connector assembly of  claim 2 , wherein
 the cage body of the guide shielding cage has a top wall and a side wall, 
 the upper heat sink bracket is assembled to the top wall of the cage body, and the upper heat sink bracket has a side wall, 
 the upper heat sink module of the lever member is pivoted to the side wall of the upper heat sink bracket, and 
 the lever member of the lower heat sink module is pivoted to the side wall of the cage body. 
 
     
     
       14. The connector assembly of  claim 2 , wherein
 the cage body of the guide shielding cage has a top wall and a side wall, 
 the upper heat sink bracket is integrally constructed to the top wall of the cage body, and the upper heat sink bracket has a side wall, 
 the lever member of the upper heat sink module is pivoted to the side wall of the upper heat sink bracket, and 
 the lever member of the lower heat sink module is pivoted to the side wall of the cage body. 
 
     
     
       15. The connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal coupling portion of the heat dissipating member has a thermal conductive pad positioned at a bottom portion thereof. 
     
     
       16. A connector assembly comprising:
 the connector assembly of  claim 1 ; 
 a receptacle connector provided to a rear segment of the guide shielding cage; and 
 a pluggable module which is used to insert into the insertion space of the guide shielding cage to mate with the receptacle connector, wherein 
 when the pluggable module inserts into the insertion space of the guide shielding cage, the pluggable module provides the external force which pushes the pushed end of the lever member, and by means of the lever member, making the pressure applying elastic member downwardly push the heat dissipating member to the acting position which is lower in position, in turn making the thermal coupling portion of the heat dissipating member contact a surface of the pluggable module.